Amsterdam - A Protestant church in the Netherlands said it now allows homosexuals to officiate as priests, pastors and church elders, Dutch daily newspaper Trouw reported on Wednesday.

"If two men or two women faithfully cohabit in love, then I do not see any problem with it," priest Mark Janssens was quoted as saying in the newspaper.

Janssens said the council of the Jerusalem Church, located in Utrecht in the central Netherlands, made the decision a year ago but kept it quiet.

The church decided to allow homosexuals to serve as clergymen after one of its priests, Ruard Ganzevoort, openly started a homosexual relationship in 2005 and was dismissed.

The Dutch-reformed church is one of several Protestant churches and has some 32,000 members. (dpa)